


Heart Hopping

by HaruHara16



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Junior Prom, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, School Dances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-11 23:51:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19936606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaruHara16/pseuds/HaruHara16
Summary: Chloe continues her monologuing reign and subtly points to other students around the class who were, thankfully, not paying attention to their conversation in particular. “And thanks to Sabrina, it seems I’m not the only one working hard. I heard that Ivan over there is prepping a new, short serenade for Mylene. Nathaniel is working sketches that are ultimately going to be some amazing artistic piece for Marc. And Kim has already been making plans to go dress shopping with Ondine! Are you catching on?!”Marinette crosses her arms, arching an eyebrow at her interrogators. “Is there a deadline I don’t know about, Chloe?”“Uhh, the Junior Prom?” Chloe curtly emphasizes the tone of each syllable in the sentence.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to change up how Marinette and Luka would first meet each other. Marinette is around ~15 and Luka is ~15-17. So I'm writing based on the idea that Marinette is finishing her last year at the Collége and Luka is finishing his last year at the Lycée. I'll try to explain the school system as briefly and clearly as possible down below since there's a scene in here that revolves around it.
> 
> American Education System:  
> \- Middle School: 7th - 8th Graders (13-14 years old)  
> \- High School: 9th - 12th Graders (15 - 18 years old)  
> \- Community College: Public colleges at low-cost that students can choose to attend for about 2 years before transferring to a 4-year university. High school students can choose to take college courses here concurrently with their HS curriculum if they want to. Some CC's go by 2 semesters (Fall: August to December/Spring: January to May) or split into 3 quarters (Fall: September to December/Winter: January to March/Spring: April to June). Summer sessions are optional.
> 
> French Education System:  
> \- Collége/Middle School: First four years of secondary education (11-15 years old)  
> \- Lycée/High School: Three years of further secondary education (15-18 years old)  
> \- School year split into 3 trimesters, which is equivalent to 3 quarters in America.
> 
> Study Abroad: Lots of high schools and community colleges I know around my neighborhood offer study abroad programs, but they're just not mentioned that often. So let's just pretend for the sake of this early part of the story that it exists and Luka traveled to the USA for the Winter Trimester and returned for the Spring Trimester.
> 
> And on another note, let's just pretend the Collége and Lycée are both in the same friggin' building but the Lycée just isn't talked about as much compared to the Collége. I'm not following the canonical English dubbing of them being 10th graders and whatnot, so I'm going on a bit of a tangent here.
> 
> I tried to do as much legitimate research just for a single scene, so I hope it's as accurate to some degree... And I'm gonna apologize here beforehand if I made any mistakes. "Sorry about that, friends!"

“Marinette! Your phone’s been going off for a while now! Come down or else you’ll be late for school!”

The dry, yet even rhythm of the alarm mixed with the muffled sounds of her mother’s calls downstairs finally rouse the dark blue-haired girl to open her eyes. Waking up was always difficult on a Monday morning, but to add to the fact that she had to return for the school season again wasn’t exactly helping either.

Marinette turns to one side of the bed and reaches for her phone, her vision still hazy but enough to find the right button to properly halt the blaring noise. She checks for any notifications and sees Alya, as usual, had a couple of things to share.

_Alya: MARINETTEEE_

_Alya: Can you believe??? >:O_

_Alya: we’re in the third trimester already??_

_Alya: u better wake up early if you want your favorite seat back. Or else you-know-who will claim it!_

_Alya: see u laterrr :))_

With that note in mind, Marinette shoves the blankets away and promptly makes her way downstairs.

“Mornin’ Muuum…” Marinette groggily greets her mother as she makes her way to the dining table.

“Feeling excited?” Sabine cheerfully asks, placing a cereal box and a carton of milk on the table for her daughter.

“I don’t know, Mom.” Marinette bemoans as she makes her breakfast. “It may be another new trimester, but I’m betting it’ll probably be the same-old-same-old.”

“Oh, come now,” Sabine tries to lift Marinette’s low spirits. “It’s still a new portion of the school year, regardless! Try to keep an open mind, maybe something interesting might happen; you never know!”

Marinette shares a warm smile with her mother and nods in agreement. She no sooner than later makes her way down to her father’s bakery, where Tom Dupain is waiting with a small box in hand. 

“Ta-da!” He opens it, revealing two rows of freshly-baked macarons, all with an assortment of different colors.

“Oh, wow! They turned out better than I thought!” Marinette hops giddily on both feet at the sight of the pastries.

“You really outdid yourself today.” Tom pats his daughter on her head. “Don’t give me so much credit for the simple baking when you did most of the design choices.”

“Thanks so much for helping me out, Dad!” She jumps to give her father a tight hug right before Sabine’s call breaks her thoughts.

“Alright, Marinette.” Sabine finishes organizing Marinette’s backpack with all the necessary items and hands it off. “Here you are. Have fun!”

“I will,” Marinette plants a kiss on both their cheeks and rushes out of the store at full throttle. “I’ll see you tonight!”

Once she passes the crosswalk, finding her way to the classroom is a cakewalk. When you’ve spent almost a good four years at Collège Françoise Dupont, there isn’t a spot in the school that is a stranger to Marinette anymore. The open-air courtyard is as barren as ever, but obviously because that’s not where any commotion was going to be; it was upstairs on the second floor. 

Marinette throws herself against the door in a rush and stumbles, nearly falling face-first right in front of the class. Thankfully, she catches herself and adjusts her pacing to a more relaxed speed.

“Marinette!” Alya waves, calling out her friend.

“Hey, Alya.” Marinette sits down beside her friend, on their same favorite desk right on the second level, the incline just at a perfect distance from the chalkboard. Ms. Bustier, their homeroom teacher, was at the front desk prepping some textbooks and piles of paper.

“Macaron?” Marinette offers the box to Alya.

“Oh! These really catch your eye much more than before.” Alya glomps down a pastry with ease in less than a second. “What’s the occasion?”

“Guess I got a little too enthusiastic when I made them?”

“Ah, classic Marinette.”

The girls share a chuckle until a hand slams onto the desk, startling them. “Lookie here, Sabrina. We’re getting macarons again?”

Marinette sighs and turns to the voice of disparaging judgment. _Here we go again…_

“Guess we should’ve expected it. Always a simpleton, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Nothing more, nothing less.” Chloe snickers.

“Look, Ms. High-and-Mighty, if you’ve gotten so tired of free macarons, then you can go buy something else for yourself.” Alya fires back.

Marinette rolls her eyes. Even after four years, the sour attitude from Chloe never seems to dissipate. When you’ve got a dad as the mayor of Paris, it’s probably something to be anticipated when you’re spoiled on a daily basis with all the riches in the world. But that kind of treatment led to a prideful disposition and an unnecessary mean-streak, which tends to get on Marinette - or everyone’s, really - nerves and put patience to the test.

“Ugh, you honestly think I’d waste my time and money just to go to a lousy bakery?” Chloe huffs. “That’s ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous!”

She calmly snatches a yellow macaron from Marinette’s pastry box, without a sound of complaint from the latter. “Besides, I’ve got more important things to do for my beloved Adrikins this time around.”

“Oh? So you’ve finally decided to him alone?” Alya snorts.

“No!” Chloe retorts while munching on the pastry. “I’m gonna start spoiling my best friend to his heart’s content! He adores me, I just know it! There’s no way he would ignore my affections for him. And clearly, I’ve been putting a lot more effort into my work than Dupain-Cheng here has for the past year.”

Marinette feels a short wave of heat flush on her cheeks, but she does her best to shake off the obvious insinuation.

Chloe continues her monologuing reign and subtly points to other students around the class who were, thankfully, not paying attention to their conversation in particular. “And thanks to Sabrina, it seems I’m not the only one working hard. I heard that Ivan over there is prepping a new, short serenade for Mylene. Nathaniel is working sketches that are ultimately going to be some amazing artistic piece for Marc. And Kim has already been making plans to go dress shopping with Ondine! Are you catching on?!”

Marinette crosses her arms, arching an eyebrow at her interrogators. “Is there a deadline I don’t know about, Chloe?”

“Uhh, the Junior Prom?” Chloe curtly emphasizes the tone of each syllable in the sentence.

Immediately, Marinette’s face does a complete 180. She is left frozen in her seat as if she had been paralyzed by a swarm of wasps led by Queen Wasp herself.

“Are you serious?” Chloe scoffs as she walks back to her own seat, speaking loudly to herself. “Ms. Class-Representative forgot about the biggest event to happen for the fourth-years? Why am I not surprised?”

Marinette clasps both hands onto her head, her mind churning in disarray. As much as she hated to admit it, but Chloe made a valid point. She’s is very, extremely, without-a-doubt, far behind her peers and this wasn’t just about her duties as the class representative.

The classroom door opens abruptly, and once Marinette catches sight of the vibrant golden hair that enters the room she quickly adjusts her posture and sits upright; the exaggerated action alone incites a giggle from Alya.

“Ooohhh Adrikiiiiins!~ I’ve missed you sooo much!” Chloe calls out in a childish tone.

“Hey dude!” Nino also greets. “Been a while!”

“Hey Nino.” Adrien takes his seat at the desk and fist bumps his friend in response. “It has been a while, huh?”

Alya gives Marinette a soft nudge, making a bunch of hand motions toward Adrien. That, in Alya-language, means “Say something to him!”

Marinette grumbles, but still tries to muster up the courage to speak up. Unfortunately, her mind decides to shut down and go blank at the worst possible time, and Marinette slides her hands down her face in frustration. Thankfully, it seems that the effects of lucky charm don’t just flourish when she’s in her superhero persona, because after a short conversation with Nino, Adrien turns around and locks eyes with Marinette, making her heart shift into overdrive.

“Hey, Marinette.” The blond boy waves.

“Oh! Uh- Hey, Adrien!” Marinette stutters, mildly taken aback by his attempt to reach out first.

“How was your break?”

“You know, just the usual! Baking pastries with my parents, playing video games, doing art? Had lots of free time, so you know!…” Marinette stammers, realizing she ran out of stuff to say too quickly.

“That sounds great!” Adrien smiles. “I’m really looking forward to seeing more of your artwork.”

“Haha, yeah…” Marinette reaches up to her hair, brushing it in a nervous fashion.

“Okay, class,” Ms. Bustier calls for attention. “Welcome back to the third trimester of the school year! Let’s get started with roll call.”

Well, at least the start of class saved Marinette the trouble of embarrassing herself even further. Thank god for that.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“UURRGGH! Can you believe what I said?!” Marinette groans, pushing her lunch tray away and hiding her face behind her arms. “Doing art? Doing art?!”

“Hey, chillax!” Alya puts a hand on Marinette’s back, trying to be as comforting as possible. “This isn’t the most humiliating thing you’ve said in front of Adrien. Yet. Besides, I thought you got your point across, so that’s all that really matters.” 

“You think so?” Marinette swiftly lifts her head up at Alya’s praise.

“Yeah, it’s okay, Marinette,” Rose said. “Don’t sweat it!”

“Plus, you could say you’ve broken the ice.” Juleka adds, “So now all you have to do is keep interacting from time to time to alleviate some of the awkwardness.”

Marinette eyes drift to the two students sitting in front of her. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“I still can’t believe you forgot about the Junior Prom this year, Marinette.” Rose brings up the agonizing topic, much to Marinette’s discomfort. “I’m super excited it’s finally our turn to get the chance to experience it!” 

“It flew right over my head,” Marinette confessed. “The one thing we’ve spent most of our time talking about all year didn’t even cross my mind until Chloe mentioned it.”

“Don’t beat yourself over it too much, girl. You’re not the only one who was caught off guard.” Alya sighed in disbelief.

“But it’s probably not that big of a deal for you guys,” Marinette pouts. “You all probably already know who you’re going with.”

“Yeap!” Rose jumps in her seat and cheerfully tugs on Juleka’s left arm. “We’ve been waiting for this day for so long! So we’re definitely going together!”

“Nino and I recently made arrangements too,” Alya replied, sympathetically. “Now all that’s left is for you to hope that a certain somebody makes a move. Or, you go the unorthodox way and shoot your shot.” She leans her head towards a certain direction of the cafeteria. Adrien is happily chatting away with Nino, both laughing over something nonsensical.

There was suddenly an immense, invisible feeling of pressure that weighed on Marinette’s shoulders. Nearly everyone in class was privately working on a personal project for the object of their affections, while here she was, a sitting duck nearly four years of long-standing and still unable to get her feelings across to Adrien without rambling on like a fool. How pathetic.

She lightly grips her head, irritated at her poor communication skills. It wasn’t until she looked up that she found out the group was looking at her in an inquisitive manner. “Umm?…”

“The study-abroad program,” Alya states in a casual, matter-of-fact tone. Marinette, realizing Alya was repeating herself, panics and answers with a flurry of, “Yes? I mean- No! Not really?…”

“You see?” Alya turns to Juleka. “Lots of students our age don’t know anything about it.”

Marinette exhales, her panicked state slowly diminishing. _The study-abroad program?_

“That’s understandable,” says Juleka. “I guess it’s only something the teachers would mention to the older students.

“So it’s only open for the lycée?” Rose asks.

“I guess so,” Juleka shrugs. “It does sound really interesting, though. Luka just came back with a lot of souvenirs and merchandise.

“Luka?” Marinette inquires. “Who’s Luka?”

“My older brother,” Juleka affirms. “He applied for the program during the 2nd trimester got to study in an American community college for a single quarter. At least, I think that’s what it’s called over there? He came home during the break right before our third trimester started.”

“That sounds so cool!” Marinette exclaims, “How was it for him?”

“Or,” an unfamiliar voice chuckles behind Marinette, “you could just ask me yourself?”

Marinette backs away from the unsuspected sound and leans on Alya, surprised at the visitor who stood behind her.

“Everyone,” Juleka introduces, “this is Luka. Luka, my friends.”

“Nice to meet you guys.”

Marinette glances momentarily. He, apparently, was more flashy in appearance and fond of the color blue; in contrast to Juleka’s shade of purple. Sporting a sky blue jacket with black jeans ripped at the knee and fingernails painted black, he certainly has some fashion sense. He walks around the table and sits beside Juleka, right across from Marinette.

“So Luka, tell us about the study abroad program!” Alya eagerly urged, gently pushing Marinette back into her seat. “I heard it’s a super-cool experience for students your age.”

“It is,” Luka says, simultaneously thinking and talking at the same time. “As Juleka said, I studied at a community college. College over there has a different meaning and works very differently than the collége here.”

“Really?” Rose asks, “How so?”

“Well, the Collège Françoise Dupont is a public secondary school for students around ages 11 - 14, right? That is equivalent to a middle school in America, but their ‘middle school’ only runs for about two years.”

“Woah,” an astonished Marinette comments, “I had no idea the education system over there contrasted with ours that greatly.”

“It was surprising to learn about.” Luka agrees. “The lycée here cater to provide three-years of further education for students around my age, 15 - 18-ish? That's equal to a ‘high school’ over there.”

“But wait,” Alya looks on confusion. “You said you went to a community college?”

“Yeah. Not all high schools in America offer study abroad programs, but they do offer students concurrent enrollment in a community college.” Luka explains. “And since the lycée is the American equivalent of a high school, I was able to apply.”

“How was the school’s workload?” asks Marinette.

“It was actually kind of hard; a pretty big adjustment for me.” Luka scowls. “They cram so much material within a quarter of 12 weeks. I was only a ‘high-school’ level international student, but these community colleges are more for local individuals who have recently graduated high school, failed high school and want a second chance, or are returning adults who wish to further their education. I was part of the smaller majority, so that’s probably why I struggled a bit.”

“Oh, tell them about the concert you went to, Luka!” Juleka changes the subject, slightly. “That’s where you got most of your merchandise.”

“Oh, right!” Luka excitedly pulls out a few items from his backpack. The moment they land on the table, Marinette could hardly contain her excitement when she recognized the singer. 

“You went to a Jagged Stone concert?!”

Luka looks up in surprise. “You know about him?”

“Yeah! I know he was touring in America for some time now, but I had no idea it was going to be in your particular area when you went to school!”

“It was definitely a huge perk.” Luka shows his white shirt with a Jagged Stone imprint on it. He then quickly picks up a CD album from the small pile of souvenirs and showcases the cover, Rock Giant, “Have you listened to his newest album, yet?”

“Not…yet… I’ve only gotten snippets of it since that limited-time album sold out before I could buy one for myself! I can’t believe it is still #1 in sales and even overthrew the famous pop star XY who was previously at the top and-”

Alya clears her throat, politely interrupting the two fans’ conversation.

Marinette’s train of thought is thrown back to the present. With three lingering pairs of eyes looking back at her, she becomes aware of the fact that she had completely disregarded her other friends over her obsessive admiration.

“Oops…” Marinette mutters, face lightly dusting pink.

Alya laughs and places a hand on her shoulder, easing her friend back into her seat once more. “Hey, at least now you’ve got someone else to go wild about Jagged Stone with!”

But before Marinette could start with an entire spiel of excuses and apologies, the lunch bell rings.

“Already?” Rose expressed her displeasure.

“There’s always next time,” Alya assures the group as the students start to file out of the cafeteria in different doors. “Talk to you later, Luka.”

Luka waves to the girls, but not before sliding a small, ripped sheet of paper containing a set of numbers towards Marinette, giving her private smile. “See you, Marinette.”

“Uh- Yeah! See you, Luka.” Marinette responds, taking the paper just before Alya drags her out the door with Juleka and Rose in tow.

* * *

Fencing was never Marinette’s forte. Sure she could do backflips, roundhouse kicks, and jump for miles atop buildings all around Paris, but that was mostly thanks to the power of kwamis. Still, it doesn’t take away the disappointment that she could handle fighting supervillains, swinging around on her super yo-yo, but fall on her butt fighting an ordinary opponent with a strong, sturdy saber.

Marinette groans, placing a palm on her forehead. Unfortunately, she was one of the few students to lose in the very first round of this PE exercise.

She tries to take her mind off her poor performance by watching the other remaining students in the field. It seems that the seriousness of the physical activity has died down to some degree since Alya and Nino were clearly having a great time poking each other teasingly with the point of their swords out of Mr. D’Argencourt’s view. On the other side of the court, Ivan was playfully pretending to feign injury at each poke, gradually building Mylene’s confidence and lessening her fear of partaking in such a combative sport. The only match that seems to have taken the instructor’s attention is with Adrien and his long-standing rival, Kagami Tsurugi. 

The “Ice Queen,” as originally dubbed by Marinette, was not someone to be taken lightly. As the only person to rightfully earn the last spot in the D’Argencourt Fencing School, Kagami makes for a relentless and aggressive fencer, right beside Adrien in terms of skill. While she has a smaller build, underestimating that feature of hers would be the worst mistake any contender could make. And knowing that she comes from a family of prestigious world-champion fencers? You might as well call it quits while you still can.

But not Adrien. Despite his easygoing and reserved nature, Adrien was more than willing to take on her challenges almost always. They would often spar for what seemed like forever and held each other in high regard. While there have been minor disputes when it came to victories or losses, the conflicts were easily resolved in a calm and professional manner.

Mr. D’Argencourt blows the whistle and raises his arm towards Adrien. The abrupt noise causes Marinette to snap out of her daydreaming.

“Okay, everyone.” He scans the courtyard. “We’ve got about 20 minutes left, so we’ll go for one more rotation before we call it a day!” He briefly speaks to his two best students with a wide smile - probably discussing their spectacular performance - before walking away. Kagami bows at Adrien before making her way back to Marinette’s bench seat.

“Marinette.” Kagami acknowledges.

“Hey, Kagami.”

“So,” Marinette starts, “how did your guys’ match go today?”

“I’m going to give Adrien credit for this one.” Kagami opens a bottle of water and takes huge gulps. “He’s certainly been paying attention to my battle tactics and transitioning to defend himself as such, so I have to say I’m quite impressed.”

Marinette can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at Adrien devoting his attentiveness to anyone but herself. Selfish and childish, yes, but still unreasonable considering she has yet to find time to talk to him.

“Have you started planning anything for the Junior Prom yet?” Kagami asks.

“Kinda,” Marinette admits, slightly ashamed. “The class did unanimously agree on a theme called Heroes’ Day to honor Ladybug, Cat Noir, and the other new superheroes of Paris. That much I know… Alya and I are thinking about discussing it more in-depth sometime next week. Hopefully.”

“Party planning is the simple part that anyone can do if done properly,” Kagami states, “The real question that stands: Is there someone out there you want to go with?”

“What?!” Marinette dismisses the idea while darting her eyes back and forth from Kagami to Adrien. “I’m sure I could just go by myself if I wanted to! Look at Max! He’s reprogramming his robot pal, Markov, to be Junior-Prom ready! So me going by myself shouldn’t be a problem!”

“And stand by the punch bowl like the majority of people do when they attend by themselves?” Kagami snorts.

_Ouch._

“Max’s life practically begins and ends with technology, so I don’t find that to be valid argument.” Kagami brushes off Marinette’s reasoning. “Everyone always says they’ll go with their friends or by themselves just to fit in and sound confident. Ultimately, when that day comes, those people end up being third-wheeled or resort to comfort-eating at the punch bowl table. If that’s the case, you might as well have stayed home.”

Marinette attempts to counter the Japanese girl’s brutal honesty. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go and experience the fun for yourself, right? There’s nothing wrong with doing things at your own pace and finding comfort in being alone.”

“That’s true,” Kagami says, still holding her ground. “But you can’t deny that somewhere in your heart, you wish to know what it’s like to be wanted and be a first-choice pick at these kinds of things.”

The girls exchange concurring stares; the tense atmosphere now diminishing into awkwardness. That conversation escalated quicker than expected. Kagami wasn’t exactly mean by any standards. She was still working on her social skills as much as the next person, but there was something about her stern presence. She carried herself differently than most of Marinette’s classmates. Kagami was stubborn and someone who was determined to demonstrate her strengths beyond fencing; very goal-oriented and not someone who was likely to be pushed around so easily.

Kagami breaks the uncomfortable silence. “You’re not a tech-savvy person like Max, Marinette. You were always more of a people-person, cheerful and empathetic. But when it comes to your personal desires, I think you falter a great deal.” She glances at Adrien shaking hands with a classmate from afar.

Suddenly, the bell rings and Mr. D’Argencourt calls the class to an end. The students all make their way towards the locker room to change.

Kagami stands up and prepares to head out, but not before turning back at Marinette to point a saber at her chest. “The dance is less than a few months away, Marinette. It won’t be long before your first-choice pick is taken away from you. So either do something now or you won’t be able to do anything at all.”

She nods her head with a knowing smile and walks off. 

With the courtyard now empty, Marinette looks down at the helmet she holds with both hands and sighs in exasperation.

_Another declaration of war, huh?_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Marinette? Marinette!”

Alya’s hissing voice startles Marinette. Looking around, she notices that she’s surrounded by a huge amount of sheets of paper from her sketchbook, all splayed across the library table.

“I know I’ve gotten used to your daydreaming, but you’ve been zoning out a lot more than usual.”

“Sorry,” Marinette leans her head back to ease some of the neck pain.

“Maybe we should take a break here,” says Alya. “We’ve already got a general idea of what we want the courtyard to look like, so I think we can stop here.”

“Alright.”

“Are you okay, though?” Alya asks. “You’ve been really out of it lately. And it’s not like you to be so self-absorbed in your own world without vocalizing it to me.”

“I know, I know,” Marinette rubs her eyes. “It’s just-”

Suddenly, the library door barges open, with Chloe clinging onto Adrien’s back. “C’mon Adrikiiiiins!~ Let’s go have a picnic in the park this evening! You’ve been ignoring me all day! The weather’s fair right now and I’ve learned to bake some desserts!"

There is a visible annoyance in Adrien’s face, but he doesn’t make any effort to push Chloe away. “Sorry Chloe, I can’t.” He heads over to a shelf and picks out several books. “Fencing matches with Kagami have been taking a lot more of my time on Fridays. Because of that, my father has been on my case lately about falling behind in Chinese class. I need to catch up.”

Chloe’s expression reaches dangerously close to a pout. “But you promised me you would spend time with me!”

“ _When_ I have time.” Adrien corrects her. “Plus, I already agreed that Kagami and I would hang out together this upcoming weekend to try out archery. So I’ve got a booked schedule.”

Just as he was about to leave, he sees Marinette at the corner of his eye and walks over, with Chloe still grasping on tightly. “Hiya, Marinette. How’s the Junior Prom planning going?”

“Um! Pretty okay! I think?” Marinette’s choppy sentences make their grand entrance once again. “So we just got the basic interior designing stuff done? And now- Now I think we’re just gathering the materials.”

“Yeap! We got this!” Alya gives two thumbs-up and shows off some of the rough sketches.

Chloe sticks her tongue out, only to be met by a glare from Alya.

“As expected from someone of your artistic skills, Marinette.” Adrien compliments. “Well, I’ll see you around. Got a lot of things to get done.” And with that, he swiftly exits the library with Chloe whining the entire way out. She doesn’t hesitate to make the gesture of pointing two V-sign fingers at her own eyes and then at Marinette’s just mere seconds before the doors shut.

“I see.” Alya expresses her sympathy the moment the doors close. “You’ve got a few tough competitors.”

“I can barely get a moment of privacy with Adrien without both of them hogging him all the time!” an upset Marinette exclaims.

“Don’t be so discouraged,” Alya assures. “These things take time! You don’t exactly throw all your cards out on the table when the game is only starting, right?”

Marinette manages a giggle, “No, you’re right.”

“Why don’t you go home and plan your next move, then? I can work on all the rough drafts for Ms. Bustier this weekend. You just kick back and relax.”

“…Alright, okay.” Marinette packs her belongings and tears out the few pieces of paper from her sketchbook to hand to Alya. “You’re the best.”

“You know it.” Alya huffs sarcastically, praising herself for being a good samaritan.

Marinette exits the building and out into the front steps of the school. It’s vacant, as most of the students have made their way home already. Walking home doesn’t take more than a few minutes, but Marinette decides against it at the moment. She takes a seat at the bottom steps and takes interest on the cars passing by on the road ahead, simultaneously thinking about the dilemma she’s in. In all honesty, she can only be mad at herself because of her lack of self-esteem and courage to speak up.

Chloe has known Adrien since childhood and is spoiled rotten. Adrien doesn’t seem to be taken with her, but Chloe is a persistent individual. With all her nagging, he might agree to go with her to keep her happy. Kagami, on the other hand, seems to be the real adversary here. She knows what she wants and will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. And lately, because of her family’s relations with the Agreste’s, she’ll get to see Adrien a lot more often, which also means she’ll get more opportunities to ask him out! _What to do… What to do…_

“Marinette?”

She tries to visualize who the person talking to her was, but the sun was shining directly at her face that she needed to squint to make out the distinct facial features. It wasn’t until the blue figure stepped closer that she realizes she recognizes who he is.

“Oh! Hi, Luka.” Marinette forces a smile.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” Luka asks, sitting beside her.

“Just… thinking too much, I guess.” Marinette laments.

“I heard you’ve been pretty busy?” says Luka.

“What?!” Marinette panics, thinking Luka knows about her situation regarding Adrien. “Where did you hear that from? Who told you?!”

Her initial shock sparks a soft laugh from Luka, and Marinette’s face turns a little red.

“I promise it’s nothing bad.” He assures her. “Juleka mentioned that you and Alya have been working a lot to prepare for the Junior Prom coming up.”

“Oh, well, yeah. We’ve actually got some design ideas for the courtyard ready to submit for our teacher this Monday. Here, lemme show you.” Marinette pulls out her sketchbook and flips through each sheet individually, trying to find the right page. But before she could even reach the right page, Luka had already taken interest in her other sketches.

“Did you really draw all of those?”

“Yeah,” Marinette stops at a page with sketches of her pigeon-styled derby hat. “I get most of my inspiration from looking at my surroundings or I can try to work my way around the topics I am given.”

“That’s amazing,” Luka compliments. “If I had known you were this great an artist already, I would’ve recommended you beforehand for the lycée talent show set design. Our former artist didn’t seem to put much effort into his work.”

“Ha ha,” Marinette blushes, “that’s really- I’m flattered you like my artwork.”

“And what about ideas for the dance? Did you come up with those too?”

“For that? No, not by myself,” Marinette skims her booklet before landing on the proper page. “The entire class all agreed on a superhero theme and I just worked from there.”

She proudly shows Luka at least 6 pages worth of doodles of the five popular superheroes known to Paris. “Is this why your text replies have been so choppy lately?” Luka frowns. “You’re exhausted and overworking.”

“Just one of the few perks of being class representative.” Marinette shrugs jokingly.

They sit silently together and take in the view. Luka appears to be deep in thought, but Marinette doesn’t pry. Her eyes instead wander to the guitar case strapped to his back instead.

_He plays?_

Marinette knows from their last lunch hangout and occasional messaging that Luka is a big fan of Jagged Stone and loves music, but he didn’t mention anything about being an aspiring musician himself. Marinette can’t help but wonder what kind of music he has written on his own time.

“Are you free this weekend?”

“What?” Marinette is taken aback by the question.

“Do you have any plans this weekend?” Luka repeats.

“No, I don’t think so…” Marinette said with pensive slowness. “Alya said she would finalize the sketches I gave her… and the homework load isn’t that bad this time around. Why? What’s on your mind?”

“Well, I figured since you’ve been awfully busy and haven’t had time to treat yourself, I was wondering if you’d like to spend all of Saturday out with me.” 

“Wait- You mean- like, just the two of us?” a perplexed Marinette asks.

“Unless you’d rather pay for your ice cream at Andre’s separately.” Luka teases.

“Oh?” The thought of filling her taste buds with cold desserts engulf her mind. “Well, if that’s the case then never mind what I just said.” Marinette snorts. 

“I can come over to your place and we can both walk over to the shop,” Luka suggested. “What time do you want to head out?”

“… How’s… late noon for you?”

“It’s perfect.” Luka grins, his tone of voice chipper than usual.

He gets up from the stairs and makes his way down toward the streets. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” Luka winks, and Marinette feels her face heating slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: [HaruHara16](http://haruhara16.tumblr.com)  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

“Marinette! There’s a handsome young man here for you!” Sabine called from downstairs.

“Almost done!” Marinette calls out, tightening the last pigtail into place. She gazes into the mirror in front of her. Nothing unusual; just her casual clothes reflecting back at her.

Although, it’d probably be a good idea to hurry up and get out of the shop as quickly as possible. It won’t be long before her parents start getting a little too curious and start to ask embarrassing questions and overshare information…

Marinette takes a deep breath, straps her tiny intricately-made purse over her shoulders, and heads down to the bakery shop below.

 _"You just kick back and relax."_ She replays Alya’s words over and over in her head.

That’s right, maybe she just needed a break. Some time off doing leisurely activities would definitely do her good. Once she clears her mind of some of the stress, then it’s back to business!

On her way down, she barely makes out the muffled voices.

“Oh, so you’re a musician?” Tom asks with a tone of impression.

“Aspiring, you could say,” Luka responds, modestly. “My family and I do love to write songs of our own.”

“So I take it then that you know who Jagged Stone is?” Sabine inquires.

“Absolutely,” Luka nods. “He’s my favorite singer.”

“You should see Marinette’s collection of Jagged Stone’s albums.” Tom chuckles. “You wouldn’t believe she spent all of her money in one day-”

“Okay! I’m ready!” Marinette barges in, stopping them in mid-conversation.

“Why so soon, Marinette?” a mildly disappointed Tom asks. “We were just getting acquainted with your friend.”

“Yes, Dad, I can tell.” Marinette pouts.

“Well, we don’t want to keep holding you guys back any longer than we already have.” Tom softly pats Marinette’s head, and her annoyance is quickly replaced with a fond smile.

“Have fun, you two!” Sabine gently pushes Marinette closer to Luka and out the door.

Once outside, Marinette groans, hiding her face between her palms.

“Your parents seem nice.” Luka comments.

“Yes, yes they are.” Marinette rolls her eyes, huffing childishly.

“C’mon, then.” Luka smiles at Marinette, “Let’s go.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“This is a lot fancier than I thought.” Marinette scans the entirety of the store.

“Isn’t it? It’s a newly refurbished place.” Luka peeks at Marinette from behind the smooth, laminated menu covering his face. “After so many years, Andre finally sold enough ice cream from his little cart to buy himself his very own store.”

“Well, he really outdid himself.”

The vacant stand-alone building that was once left to rot and collect dust transformed into an unexpected, customer-pleasant atmosphere was nearly impossible to imagine, but it was done. The business was booming and it was coming close to being another popular dessert store in Paris, second to the T&S Boulangerie Patisserie, that is.

“The cookies n’ creme flavor looks really good…” Luka muses, lowering the menu down to lay flat on the table.

Marinette, instead, takes her menu and buries her face further into it. Ever since they’d set foot into the shop, she was uncomfortably aware of the number of couples that were seated around the perimeter. Sure there were a few groups of friends and families, but the majority looked like they were all on a date and it obviously wasn’t helping.

“You can get anything you want, you know.” Luka’s voice calls out.

“You don’t have to tell me twice since you’re the one who so-kindly offered to pay.” Marinette replies, placing the menu down.

A smile tugs at the corner of Luka’s mouth when he snorts at Marinette’s response. It was a ridiculously good look on him.

“Well, well! What have we here? Another couple on a day out?” Andre makes a jovial appearance at their table.

“Uhh!… Congrats on opening your own store, Andre!” Marinette commends, hoping to drive the conversation away from anything couple-related.

“Why, thank you! It took so many years but the outcome was definitely worth it! Now, I could go on forever about my accomplishments and whatnot, but that’s not my intention for coming here to greet both of you.”

He pulls out a small booklet and a click pen. “So, what can I get for you two today?”

“I’d like the Sweet Summer Strawberry cake, please.” Luka says.

“Excellent! And for the missus?” Andre turns to face Marinette.

Realizing she had not made a solid choice, Marinette reads the first thing on the list that catches her eye. “Uhh! I’d like the Minty Blueberry Parfait mixed with an assortment of fruits in a waffle bowl, please!”

“Ahh yes, my newly-released special! Wonderful! They’ll be prepped and ready in just a short while! Thank you very much!”

As Andre walks off, Marinette exhales as softly as she can. But apparently it was still enough to draw in Luka’s attention.

“You chose that on a whim, didn’t you?” Luka asks.

“Huh?!” Marinette sputters.“No?! I totally wanted to eat that-”

“I’m kidding.” Luka chortles. “I said you could have whatever you wanted, didn’t I? There’s no shame in splurging on some desserts.”

Marinette flushes slightly, making a small noise of agreement.

She glances around the room, admiring the soft-toned palette of the marble-colored walls engulfing the room. It really brought out the peaceful and relaxing aura intended for an ice-cream kind-of theme. But no matter how hard she tried, her eyes always found its way to a random couple making heart-eyes staring at each other as they shared a huge sundae through straws. It was absurdly sappy, but also adorable at the same time.

Marinette does her best not to think about how this day would turn out if it was less platonic than intended.

“How are your classes going?” Luka asks.

“Okay, I guess.” Marinette turns back to face Luka. “Although, it’s been a little difficult to focus lately since all everyone ever talks about is the upcoming dance.”

“Can’t really blame them, can we?” Luka nods his head. “It’s really the only dance that the college ever holds for fourth-years if any at all.”

“Did you go to dance when you were in collége?” Marinette curiously asks.

“The date wasn’t so much of an inconvenience, but I had a lot of trouble dealing with my parents’ separation for a long period of time that I had to skip it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Marinette stammers, thinking she stepped into personal territory. “I didn’t mean-”

Luka consoles her worries. “It’s fine. I’m more comfortable speaking about it more openly now. It’s just how some things are.”

“Then, were you planning on going to the one the lycée is holding?” Marinette asks. “You still have a chance at experiencing another before you graduate.”

“I’m not sure.” Luka thinks out loud, “I guess I wouldn’t have minded going… if I wasn’t probably going to end up standing alone at the punch bowl. It’s just awkward.”

Marinette is suddenly reminded of her unpleasant discussion with Kagami. As much as she hated the truth behind those words, she justified her stance on the case with valid reasons.

“What about you, Marinette?” Luka shifts the conversation. “You and Alya are the party planners, aren’t you? Not to mention, best friends. Why don’t you two go together?”

“I mean, I’d love to, but she and Nino have already made arrangements, as do most of the class… So I guess I’m kinda left high and dry on the side too.”

“There really isn’t anyone else out there that you’d like to accompany you?” Luka raises his eyebrows.

“Ah, well-? Umm…” Marinette contemplates sharing her troubles of fighting in a silent three-way battle to gain Adrien’s attention. Sure it was an honest answer, but something about it made it seem like she was being blatantly inconsiderate towards Luka. Bringing up a delicate topic like that to create a sense of uneasiness on a day out? That’s just insensitive.

But _why_ it felt insensitive at all was still a lingering mystery to Marinette.

“Here you are!” Andre bellows, making his way towards their table holding a tray on the tips of his fingers. “A Sweet Summer Strawberry slice of cake for the gentleman and the Special Minty Blueberry Parfait for the young lady! Enjoy!”

The desserts looked so much more extravagant than their picture counterparts. Luka had fluffy vanilla coated by a thick layer of pink frosting and surrounded by half-cut strawberries. Marinette ended up with a moderately large bowl of minty chocolate-chip, visible blueberries filled the entire circumference while a variety of other tiny-cut fruits were hidden at the bottom.

Marinette couldn’t help but stare a bit at Luka as he takes his first bite of the cake, a hint of frosting lingers at the edges of his lips as the fork slowly slides past them. The room suddenly felt a thousand degrees hotter than it should be.

“Did you want some?” Luka asks, drawing Marinette out of her daze.

“Huh? What?” Marinette sputters, her heart instantly racing when she realizes she got caught staring.

“Vanilla and strawberry actually do make a good combination.”

Marinette hesitates but quietly accepts his invitation by warily reaching her spoon outwards to scoop some cake. But Luka beat her to it and now has his own fork - carrying with it a piece with a tuft of pink frosting - stretched out onto the middle of the table between them.

“I-“ Marinette’s face goes beet red.

“It’s good, you know.” Luka leans his cheek on the palm of his hand while inching his spoon closer to Marinette with the other.

Her mind was in absolute disarray, but something about making Luka go through the trouble and embarrassment of turning away the fork felt worse than a punch to the gut. So she leans in and wraps her lips around the fork.

She casually chews, trying to ignore Luka’s eyes on her and the fact that she basically just let him feed her.

“Tasty?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then, in return, I’m stealing some of yours.” Luka darts his fork forwards into Marinette’s ice cream and manages to sink through a blueberry. Marinette’s eyes widen and she tries to bat off Luka’s fork away, but she wasn’t fast enough. Luka relishes in the small victory as he sticks the tiny fruit into his mouth.

“Hey!” Marinette playfully covers her bowl of ice cream with both hands. “That’s it, no more for you!”

“I wonder who started it?” Luka protests, laughing at Marinette’s display.

They bicker as they finish the rest of their dessert, legs lightly knocking into each other as they squabble over lost fruits and frosting. Luka pays off Andre at the register and they make their way out of the store.

“That was delicious.” Marinette mumbles, nibbling off the remaining crumbs of her waffle bowl.

“It was,” Luka places a hand on his belly in agreement.

“So,” he turns to Marinette. “Would you want to go see a movie? I hear that new Ladybug and Cat Noir movie is out now.”

“To be honest, I’m not a big fan of the actress they chose for Ladybug,” Marinette replies, face scowling. “Her build doesn’t seem to fit well for the role.”

“Well, nothing beats the original, right?” Luka admits. Marinette fights back a smile at the indirect compliment.

“Or do you want to head back home?”

“Umm… I think the day is still young.” says Marinette. “How about the mall?”

“Actually…” Luka contemplates. “I’ve got another idea." He nods his head in a certain direction and Marinette, though puzzled, follows suit.

She tags alongside him but doesn’t ask any further questions. The blissful feeling of indulging in cold desserts probably made her feel a bit out of sorts, but that’s not to say she isn’t having a good time. In fact, maybe she was having too much of a good time. Still, it didn’t make her any less curious about what Luka had in mind. So she goes along with it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“You have your gloves ready?” Luka asks.

“Not sure why we needed to buy some last-minute winter attire in the middle of summer, but yeah.” Marinette snorts, tugging out a pair of turquoise gloves from her purse.

“I just don’t want your fingers freezing off.” Luka turns his attention from Marinette momentarily as they make their way down the end of the block and turn the corner. “Here we are.”

Upon being towered over by a building and discovering where they were, Marinette is left frozen in her tracks.

Luka only takes a few steps forward before he realizes she wasn’t following him anymore.

“Marinette?” Luka slightly frowns.

“I don’t know how to ice skate,” Marinette blurts out, catching Luka off guard.

“Really? You’ve never gone to Philippe’s ice rink before?”

Marinette reaches up to run her hand through her hair, bashfully looking away. “I mean, I’ve said many times with Alya and everyone that I would go, but never got around to actually doing it.”

“I don’t mind teaching you some of the basics.” Luka replies without hesitation.

“But-”

Luka places a hand on Marinette’s shoulder but doesn’t apply any pushing force. “If you came here by yourself, I would definitely be more concerned. But one of us has some experience, to say the least, so it shouldn’t be too hard. We can make this work if you’re willing to give it a try.”

Marinette is no stranger to her clumsiness or to bouts of injury. Yet the thought of constantly falling on her bottom in front of Luka somehow felt more humiliating than anything she had ever done in her uncoordinated life. But that mental hindrance didn’t take away the fact that part of Marinette was curious to learn a new skill, and with someone to help her do it, at that. In the end, her determination wins and she smiles back at Luka.

“Okay.”

The two of them fall back into step together, but not before Marinette mutters, “If I end up falling, I’m dragging you down with me.”

“Fair enough,” Luka chuckles, holding open the entrance door.

Inside the rink, the rush of cold air forces Marinette to immediately put on her gloves, and she gratefully appreciates the fuzzy texture on her fingers. Luka insists on renting skates for both of them, so Marinette sits herself down on the closest bench to wait. After paying, Luka makes his way back to Marinette and plops down next to her, pulling on his pair of skates with ease. It wasn’t long before he was up on his feet, balancing on the blades of his skates. Marinette, on the other hand, struggled with the lacing. Her face gradually turns into a frown; this was much different from tying a regular shoe, so she has the strings in all different directions.

Sensing her frustration, Luka kneels in front of Marinette and gently takes the laces from her hands. Marinette stares down as Luka easily knots the laces together and tightens the skates before offering his hand to help steady her balance as she stands. At least the chilly air helps alleviate the heat flushing on her cheeks.

“You can hold on to the wall first to get a feel for the ice on your skates,” Luka says when they step out onto the rink. Despite it being a weekend, Marinette was thankful there weren’t that many people - or couples - in the rink to glance at her clumsiness at the corner of their eyes.

“I think I’m o-” Marinette starts, but then her balance falters and she immediately grabs the closest thing to keep herself standing. Luka reaches out, allowing Marinette to grab both his arms, preventing her from falling over completely.

They’re both quiet for a moment as Marinette recovers from her near-fall, but it’s not stopping the loud thump in her chest as she tries not to think about how close they are.

“Let’s have you try the wall again.” Luka says, breaking the silence. Marinette doesn’t protest this time.

They make their way around the rink twice with Marinette awkwardly gripping the railing and Luka smoothly skating within her vicinity.

“Think you’re ready to let go now?” Luka asks.

“I… No.” Marinette’s feet wobble as she tries to let go of one hand from the wall. “Can you help me?”

Luka takes Marinette’s free hand and tightly holds onto it and places his other hand around her waist. Marinette is 100% sure that her skin is practically burning where Luka is touching and her face dusts pink.

Luka turns to face Marinette. “I’m gonna be your brace, okay? Don’t worry about leaning your weight on me if you feel like you’re gonna fall back.”

Up close, Marinette could see his aqua eyes were deeper than the ocean itself, and the tips of his dark hair were dipped in a glowing teal. Somehow, the cold, white design choices of the ice rink only seemed to enhance those features.

“Okay,” is all Marinette manages to squeak out.

Luka pushes forward and Marinette follows his lead. They get about halfway to the rink when Marinette’s awkward pacing has her flailing her legs, struggling to find stability.

“Try and keep your back straight,” Luka suggests, putting his hand higher to flatten out her crouching. “That way gravity won’t be as big of an issue.”

Marinette straightens up. Skating suddenly feels a thousand times easier with Luka there to guide her. She tests her new body positioning during the next turn and gradually the two of them ease into fluid movements.

“I can’t believe this is working.” A bubble of nervous laughter works its way out of Marinette.

Luka lets out a small laugh behind her. “Here, let’s try this,” he leads her to the wall to grab onto.

“Now, try to memorize how your form is right now. I’m gonna stand in front of you and I want you to skate towards me with that posture.”

Marinette takes a deep breath and zones in on her body, trying to memorize how far back her shoulders are and the soft pushes she mirrored Luka earlier. Maybe even the light pressure of Luka’s hand on her body that she has gotten accustomed to, but no one needs to know that.

Within moments, Marinette is moving on her own. Her legs rhythmically interchanging and arms out for extra help as she skates towards Luka, a grin spreading across his face. Distracted by his heartfelt smile, Marinette pushes back too far with her right foot, and the toe pick gets caught between the tiny broken ice shards of the rink when she tries to bring it back forward. With all sense of balance lost, Marinette topples forward and drags Luka onto the ice with her.

A wheezing gasp is heard as both bodies slam onto the floor. Marinette’s knees notify her that the ice is hard and freezing cold, but finds it easier to reorient herself from the fall. But this only makes her become quickly aware that the solid weight of Luka is beneath her, warm and close. Far too close.

“You really did end up taking me down with you.” Luka croaks, looking up at Marinette, his face mere inches away from hers.

Marinette’s face goes red in an instant, and she immediately pulls herself off of her knees and back on her feet. She grabs onto the railing of the wall much harder than before, dying inside.

“Sorry,” Marinette mutters, extending one hand out for Luka to grasp.

“It’s fine.” Luka replies, lifting himself off the ice.

But Marinette’s guilt gets the better of her, as she can’t seem to find any other way to say “sorry” without being repetitive, so she keeps ahold of Luka’s hand. Instead of letting go, she laces her fingers tighter around them but doesn’t look at him directly. She couldn’t tell what facial expression Luka was giving, but his hands reciprocated her act, so she took it as a good sign.

They’re quiet for a few minutes, but then Marinette says, “It’s getting a little late.”

“You’re giving up after one fall?” Luka teases.

“No,” Marinette blushes. “It really is getting late.”

“Okay, okay.” They make their way towards the ice rink exit, hands still intertwined. By the time they get to the front desk to return their skates, Marinette realizes where her hands are and she pulls away, albeit gently. Luka even takes it upon himself to walk her back to the front of the bakery.

They stand quietly at the entrance door before Marinette breaks the silence. “Thanks so much for today, Luka. I really needed this.”

Luka widens his eyes in surprise but chuckles after a moment. “I was afraid that the entire day would be ruined when you ended up falling at the ice rink, but I guess it turned out better than I expected. You’re welcome.”

Before Marinette walks inside, Luka places something in her hands.

It was Jagged Stone’s Rock Giant album.

“You- You’re giving this to me?” Marinette exclaims. “But this was a limited-time piece of merchandise you got during your overseas trip as a study-abroad student! I can’t take this!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Luka gently pushes the item in Marinette’s hand back towards her. “I think I’ve found better music today anyways.”

Luka smiles, and Marinette -

Marinette can’t look away.

The interior lights reflected outwardly at them in the silent of the night, which only happened to increase the visible attractiveness in his soft gaze by the thousand-fold. Luka delicately squeezes Marinette’s hands holding the CD case before heading off. “Goodnight, Marinette.”

As Luka makes his way down the street, Marinette feels a tightness in her chest. Watching him leave shouldn’t have any sort of impact whatsoever and yet, here she was, her heart aching for him to stay here with her for just a little bit longer.

Marinette raises the CD case and hides her face behind it.

_This is getting too dangerous._

* * *

“Earth to Marinette?!” 

“What’s up, Alya?” Marinette asks, placing her bookbag down as she takes her seat in class.

“What’s up,” Alya hisses, “is that the dance is less than several weeks away and you haven’t made any progress with Adrien yet. At all!”

“Oh.”

“Oh?!” Alya is taken aback. “Girl, what happened to planning things out? I thought you were an emotional wreck just a few months ago and were devising some scheme to get some alone-time with him.”

“I don’t know.” says Marinette. “Maybe… Maybe I don’t want to go to the dance anymore.”

Alya doesn’t falter one bit. “Riiiiight. C’mon, Marinette. We both know that you enjoy these things just as much as I do. What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“It’s nothing. I'm just-”

Chloe interrupts their conversation by slamming her hand hard on the desk, startling Marinette. “Giving up already? This must be my lucky day!”

“Jumping to conclusions has always been your area of expertise, Chloe.” Alya rolls her eyes.

“Regardless,” Chloe puts a hand on her chest in a dignified manner. “I've decided to take matters into my own hands and put a stop to this little circus show once and for all.”

“What are you talking about?” Marinette scowls, genuinely confused.

As luck would have it, Adrien walks through the door with Nino and they take their seats. Chloe smirks at Marinette before walking over to them. She takes out a covered plate full of chouquettes hidden inside her expensive purse.

“Adrikiiiiins! Won’t you please go to the dance with me?” She offers the pastries for the blond boy, who is surprised at this gesture so early in the morning. Alya is practically gritting her teeth and Nino stares in amusement. Marinette doesn’t say anything, but continues to watch.

“That’s so nice of you, Chloe but… but I’m afraid I can’t.”

“Wait, what?” Chloe’s fingernails sink into the aluminum plate.

“I’m really flattered by this, but there’s someone else on my mind that I was hoping to go with already. I hope you understand.”

Chloe gapes at his response. The students on the other side of the room also watch the courtship go down; some cover their mouths in shock, others have trouble holding back their snickering. Thankfully, Ms. Bustier enters the classroom and breaks the tension.

“Chloe, would you please take a seat? Class is almost about to start.”

“But I-! Ugh! Okay, fine.” The spoiled, rich girl stomps her foot and puts away the sugar-topped puffs back into her purse. She takes her seat and crosses her arms in bitter silence, but not after mouthing to Marinette, ‘This isn’t over!’

“Well,” Alya whispers to her friend, “at least you’ve got one obstacle out of the way. 

“I guess so.” Marinette agrees. But something about that rejection didn’t make her exhale a breath of relief. It felt… casual.

Nino and Adrien turn back to face the girls sitting behind them. Nino gives Alya a wink and she tenderly smiles back at him, happily going on and on about the upcoming dance.

“Hey, Marinette. How are things going?” Adrien asks.

“Pretty good,” says Marinette. “Alya and I are finalizing the interior design for the courtyard. Now we just need to send a copy of it to Ms. Bustier and to Principal Damocles later this week.” 

“Really? What about the cardboard props?”

“Halfway done.” Marinette takes out her sketchbook and shows Adrien the outlines of how the props are meant to look. “Alix and Nathaniel are finishing up the second layer of paint for Rena Rouge and Carapace. Queen Bee’s paint design still needs drying before we apply the second layer, but it’s close to being done.”

“That’s awesome!” says Adrien, visibly excited. “Aren’t you super eager for the dance too?”

“I’m… still debating about the whole thing.” Marinette admits. “I may be preparing the whole thing, but staying for the rest of the night is another decision. You said you’ve got someone in mind you wanted to go with?”

“I do,” Adrien reddens slightly. “But that depends on which one of us is going to ask the other out first. I honestly wouldn’t mind either way.”

Marinette smiles at him. “Here’s to hoping it happens soon, yeah?”

“Thanks, Marinette.” Adrien returns a pleased expression before turning away to face the front of the class.

Nino and Alya exchange wide-eyed glances at each other before Marinette notices them looking in her direction. Nino tips his cap at Alya, letting her go back to conversing with Marinette and him with Adrien.

“You didn’t stutter.”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t stutter.” Alya repeats. “Not even one word was misspoken or misplaced during that entire discussion.”

“Really?” Marinette herself is surprised at this piece of evidence being called out. “I didn’t realize…" 

“Yeah…” Alya frowns in confusion. “Is everything alright?”

“Hey, Marinette.” Juleka cuts in as politely as possible. “Luka wanted me to tell you that he’s done fixing those new headphones he bought for you. You can pick them up later today if you’d like.” 

“Oh, sure thing! Thanks for letting me know.”

As Juleka walks away towards Rose, Alya rests her arm over Marinette’s shoulder and pulls her friend in closer. A darkening aura of curiosity and interest hovering around her, Marinette knew what it meant. She’s seen that face before and whenever Alya shifts into her ‘Ladyblog’ persona, it’s almost impossible to escape. “You. Me. Deets. Lunch.”

* * *

“Thanks for fixing it for me, Luka.” Marinette looks over her black-spotted, red headphones with glee.

“Yeah, no problem.” Luka puts away a pair of scissors and handful of metallic wires into an empty drawer at his bedside. “The connection cord was a little loose, but it was a simple fix that doesn’t take longer than 10 minutes or so.”

“No wonder I could only listen to the music from one ear. It was getting really annoying.”

“How’s that Rock Giant album doing you?” asks Luka. 

“It’s amazing!” Marinette confesses. “At least I can say I had a good reason to try and buy it for myself. But then again, I still think you should’ve kept it for yourself.”

“I could have,” says Luka, leaning his cheek on the palm of his hand, “but I did say I found something else that piqued my interest.” All this while smiling sweetly at Marinette that she had to look away in fear of him seeing her cheeks go an unsightly red.

“Since you’re here anyways, would you like to stay for dinner?” Luka asks. “My mom’s going to be cooking beef bourguignon tonight.”

“That’s- really thoughtful of you. But actually…” Marinette couldn’t believe she was actually going to do this. “I was wondering if you’d- I don’t know, like to go dress shopping with me?” She reaches up to run her hand through her hair. It’s been a while since this nervous gesture was used.

Luka raises his eyebrows in surprise. Panicking, Marinette blurts out, “I mean, it’s fine if you don’t want to! I can go by myself, no problem! I didn’t think-”

“I’ll go,” Luka calmly answers.

“You’ll what?” Marinette is caught off guard.

“I’ll go dress-shopping with you.” Luka repeats. “I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?” an agitated Marinette continues, “It doesn’t seem to be something that suits you-”

“I’m sure,” Luka places his hand on Marinette’s shoulder for reassurance before walking past her. “We can head out in a couple of minutes. Just let me talk to my mom for a bit.” 

When he reaches the door, he turns back to face her, “Although, I’d still like it if you stayed for dinner afterward.”

Marinette can barely contain the heat radiating from her face.

. . . . . . . . . .

_Several hours earlier~_

_“What do you mean you’re undecided?!” Alya bites her lip, Operation: Interrogate-Marinette in full-go._

_“It’s exactly what it means!” Marinette barrels on like a steamroller. “I don’t even know anymore, Alya! I mean, something about Adrien now doesn’t feel as strong anymore, but the feeling is still there, I guess? But when I’m around Luka, suddenly everything feels like a mess in my head too!”_

_“You can’t like both guys at the same time, Marinette!”_

_“But that’s exactly what my problem sounds like!”_

_“Marinette,” Alya sighs, calming the tense atmosphere, “You know you’re running out of time.”_

_“I know…”_

_“Look, after what happened earlier today with Chloe, that already puts you at a bit of an advantage, doesn’t it?”_

_“Adrien has always been passive when it came to receiving and giving affection to Chloe, so I guess.”_

_“What about Kagami? You told me she even challenged you or something like that.”_

_“Hmm? Yeah, that’s one way of putting it.”_

_“Have you had any other interactions with her after that?”_

_“No, I don’t think so. I’ve seen her with Adrien around campus a lot lately, but I always turn the opposite direction when I see them start coming my way. It’ll make things awkward considering Kagami and I are in some kind of rivalry about this whole thing, if you get what I mean.”_

_“Okay, Marinette. If you had to pick one to go to the dance with right now, who would it be?”_

_“I….. don’t know.”_

_Alya exhales a frustrated breath. “Marinette, Marinette, Marinette…”_

_They sit together on the bench quietly before Alya decides to share her thoughts._

_“Alright, you wanna know what I think you should do?”_

_“Yes,” Marinette practically whines for help. “Please tell me.”_

_“You’re going over to Luka’s to pick up your headphones later today anyway, aren’t you?”_

_“I am…”_

_“So, why not try keeping the rhythm going?”_

_“Meaning?…”_

_“You’ve been spending a lot of time with him compared to Adrien over these past months, haven’t you?” says Alya, “That’s not to say you should immediately disregard what you’ve feeling for Adrien and ignore both of your minor interactions since the beginning of the year, but you should also think about what Luka might be feeling. Because if you really are leaning in his direction, it’s a good idea to remember that no one ever wants to be a Plan B in this kind of situation.”_

_“…Okay.”_

_“Okie-dokie.~ In the meantime, you got a dress ready?”_

. . . . . . . . . .

Marinette could almost feel the beads of sweat drip from her temples as they reach the store: LCN's Wardrobe.

_Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea._

Marinette manages to survive without saying or doing something that would make her look like a fool so far. She’s become all too aware of how silky Luka’s hair is up close and how soft his pink lips are when they’re moving as he speaks. And she has to continually remind herself not to gawk at him like a lovestruck moron.

“C’mon,” Luka opens the door for them, “You won’t find a dress out here.”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Marinette playfully taps Luka’s arm.

“Welcome!” A young woman approaches, “I’m Lumina, and I’m assuming you’re here to search for a prom dress?”

“That’s right,” Marinette answers. 

“Any thoughts on accessories like necklaces or bracelets?”

“I think my bank account can only afford cheerio necklaces.” Marinette snorts.

“Fruit Loops or Apple Jacks?” Luka pokes Marinette lightheartedly.

“Hey!” Marinette swats at his hand, her cheeks puffed in a petulant manner.

Lumina giggles at their antics. “Well, it’s been quite busy in here lately since many students have been on their own shopping spree as well. But lucky for you two, a spot in the corner of the store is open. Just follow me.”

Lumina leads both of them across the large store. Marinette takes the entirety of that walk and scans the dresses around her. There were so many designed to fit each individual’s body type and preferences. Whether it was someone with narrow hips and larger bust or a girl with a more muscular build; the designers really went all out. 

“You said you wanted to be a fashion designer, didn’t you?” Luka asks, breaking Marinette out of her wonderstruck daydreaming.

“Yeah,” says Marinette, “There are so many beautiful outfits in here. I just love how-”

Before Marinette could finish her train of thought, a plus-sized girl from a group of older teens searching through an aisle of dresses elbows into Marinette as she steps back to view one she pulled out, pushing her right into Luka. He manages to hold onto her arms to keep her on her feet, but the abrupt skin contact has Marinette’s brain short-circuiting.

“Hey, watch it,” Luka angrily calls out, “You almost made her fall.”

The girl that knocks into Marinette glares back at them, scoffing, “You watch where _you’re_ going.”

“You clearly knocked into me,” Marinette argues back, finally finding her voice. “It’s a small aisle, so I’d really appreciate it if you went and played bumper carts somewhere else.”

The girl rolls her eyes, but it doesn’t hide the hint of pink growing on her cheeks. “Whatever. You and your boyfriend just watch out next time.” 

_“He’s not my boyfriend!”_ Marinette wanted to say through the slight redness on her face. But before she could speak up, Luka gently pushes her body upright and leads her away with a hand on her shoulder. They catch up with Lumina, who is selecting a couple of dresses nearby and setting them on an empty rack near the fitting rooms.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Luka asks while rubbing Marinette’s arm, soothing whatever injury she sustained from the impact.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Marinette gently taps on his hand, “it wasn’t that hard of a hit.”

“Ohhh, aren’t you two adorable?!” Lumina squeals in delight behind her hands, trying to resist the urge to increase her volume. That comment alone prompts Marinette to break away from Luka’s hold.

“Anyways,” Lumina brings back her professional attitude, “I’ve got a couple of dresses ready for you to try out. I only chose them based on an assumption of your figure, so they might not be correct or the best fit. You’re still welcome to try out anything you like! Feel free to come find me if you need help with anything.”

“Thank you so much,” says Marinette.

With that, Lumina walks off to the other side of the store, but not before giving Luka and Marinette a quick peek behind her back and jumping giddily to herself.

“She’s got an excitable personality,” Luka laughs.

“No kidding,” Marinette nods her head. “Alright, let’s get to work.”

. . . . .

A sleek black, frilly dress with excessive red bows on it? Luka scrunches his nose and shakes his head in disapproval.

A two-piece style dress, a green top with a flower-print skirt? Luka gives two-thumbs down and sticks his tongue out playfully.

A long, purple V-neck dress with lacing design? Luka slightly tilts his head, but bites his lips and ends up softly laughing. So… nope.

After 27 more dresses, Luka stands up from a chair and stretches his arms and back. He walks up to the small fitting room where Marinette was still hiding behind to try out more outfits.

“So I’m guessing you decided to go to the dance after all?” 

“I’m going, yeah.” says Marinette.

“And your date?” Luka inquires.

“That’s… still a work in progress.”

“You haven’t asked him yet?”

Marinette peeks out from behind the curtains. “I haven’t been able to… how should I put this?… find the right time to do it.”

“Juleka says the dance is in two weeks, so you’re a little crunched for time. Do you know if he hasn’t already been asked out?”

“I don’t think so,” Marinette pulls her head back in. “Adrien said he didn’t mind if he asked first or if someone else did, so I’m taking that as a no.”

“...Adrien Agreste?”

“Yeah, he’s been in my class for over a year now,” Marinette continues. “He models for his dad's fashion brand, super charismatic, and-”

The words leave Marinette before she realized what she was doing. All of a sudden, she felt a cold chill up her spine. The freezing air quickly transitioned to a burning heat and her heart rate picked up speed. Why on earth was she blabbering about another boy with Luka in her presence? Marinette had been able to restrain herself on their last hang-out; she didn’t want to throw names out because she wanted to remain mindful of someone who went out of his way to be with her. But her enthusiasm got the better of her, so she now had no choice but to ramble on; trying to cover for that slip-up. “I mean, if I’m going to act on this, I don’t wanna end up looking too stalker-ish either, you know? Gotta keep things subtle without going overboard."

Luka doesn’t say anything for what feels like a gut-wrenching moment. Marinette just wanted to stay hidden in the fitting room for the rest of eternity. But then he speaks up, “Maybe you could try right after class ends? Or early right before-?”

Luka is hushed when Marinette moves the curtains aside and finds the courage walks out of the fitting room. Her hair is tied in a single bun and she now has on a short, pink dress; double-strapped style with tiny crystal embellishments encompassing the entire outfit. Simple, yet so appealing.

Marinette stares at herself in the mirror, turning in multiple directions to view the dress at different angles before turning to Luka for his opinion, which she clearly feels she doesn’t deserve. How could she when she dragged him out here with her, only to bring upanother guy’s name and fawn over him while in his company?

Luka quietly examines her outfit from top to bottom and finally meets Marinette’s eyes at the end of it all. She’s practically holding in her breath.

“Well,” Luka smiles, “if it's taken this long for him to notice you, he obviously doesn't know what he's missing."

Marinette forces a smile back. But there was a throb in her chest that suggested otherwise. It wasn’t the same pulsating, out-of-order rhythm she felt that night when he walked her home after spending that Saturday together. No, this was much worse. And Marinette could sense it in her heart and somewhere in Luka’s eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: [HaruHara16](http://haruhara16.tumblr.com)  
> 


	3. Chapter 3

“So how are things going?” Alya asks between chewing her food. “You guys getting anywhere?”

“I’m asking Adrien today.” Marinette declares, jumping right to the point.

Alya almost chokes on a baguette. “What?!”

Marinette slaps a hand over Alya’s mouth with a napkin and shushes her for good measure, but she narrows her eyes in challenge. They were on the 2nd floor of the collége and, at that level of height, the entire campus could possibly hear them.

Alya wriggles her face out of Marinette’s grasp. “What are you talking about?! The dance is this weekend!” she hisses out a whisper, “I thought you and Luka were doing just fine after all this time!”

“Not after insinuating that I was interested in Adrien, we’re not,” an exasperated Marinette says, “Not like that way anymore… So now I’m going to follow through with what I should have done since this trimester started.”

Alya is persistent. “Have you even tried talking to Luka? ”

“You said I’ve known Adrien a lot longer, didn’t you?” Marinette prattles on, ignoring her friend. “And we’ve had our moments, right? I’m sure all those little things would add up and mean something at this point.”

She stands up and makes her way downstairs, where she spots Adrien talking with a group of familiar classmates. “I’m doing this.”

“Marinette, please,” Alya begs, chasing after her, “don’t lie to yourself like this.”

Marinette tunes out Alya’s urging and continues down the steps. But before she reaches the end of the stairway, a group of people in fencing outfits make their way around the courtyard. The group of students who were chatting with Adrien just a moment ago leave and let allow the fencers to approach the blond boy.

They form a two rows and block Adrien on both sides, leaving him to face the entrance of the school. Then enters 5 more fencers, a total of four more in a white vest and one in bright red in the center; Mr. D’Argencourt was along the sidelines for extra supervision. Marinette’s heart flutters hectically when she realizes what was about to happen.

The fencer in red holds up her sabre, prompting the four fencers in white beside her to hold up moderately-large sheets of pink construction paper. In the blink of an eye, she quickly slices through them, forming the letters: P R O M.

She makes her way to the end of the row where Adrien is standing, the fencer removes the helmet to reveal Kagami’s face. She holds her saber downward and clamps her helmet to the side with the other arm, and asks with a clear voice, “Adrien Agreste, will you go to prom with me?”

A large number of students have formed around them, whooping and squealing at such a momentous occasion. Marinette barely makes out Adrien’s face from a distance, but can see a smile form with a tint of red on his cheeks. He puts a hand on his head and brushes his hair in embarrassment. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting something this extravagant.”

“You deserve this much of a display as the next person,” Kagami smiles back, “So, what will it be?”

Adrien chuckles and takes a deep breath before answering, “Yes, Kagami. I’d love to go to prom with you.”

And the crowd goes wild, the noise of cheering and clapping enveloping the entire courtyard. Taking that as the signal, the two rows of fencers hold their sabres up in the air, forming a sophisticated arch as Adrien and Kagami - arm in arm - walk underneath it and towards the entrance of the school. It seems the only person with an unfavorable opinion is Chloe, who is writhing in anger in a corner as she bites onto the straps of her purse; Sabrina doesn’t seem so much as concerned about her best friend at the moment either, since the event unfolding before her was too sweet to look away. All the other students gather to congratulate the couple for attending the dance together.

Alya searches Marinette’s face for some sort of reaction, or anything at this point. But Marinette is quiet as she spectates from afar.

“Marinette-“ Alya starts.

“I’m going home,” says Marinette, her face as emotionless as ever.

“But-”

“It’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, Alya.”

. . . . . . . . . .

The week dragged on for what felt like years. Marinette could hardly keep up with the remaining classwork without acting like an airhead. She’d been running late for homeroom for the past few days, she absentmindedly made a dangerous chemical substance in chemistry class and got chewed out by Ms. Mendeleiev and, just recently, almost painted the wrong color scheme for the Queen Bee cardboard cutout. Passing the incidents off as a typical, clumsy antic of Marinette’s was easy, but it was more taxing then usual. None of this should have bother her as much but it was. Here and there, more prom-posals were taking place and Marinette felt her heart sink deeper into agony than ever before.

Saturday, the night of the dance, finally arrives and the event is a huge hit, probably the most popular of all time. With Paris’ Heroes as the theme, it’s no surprise why the dance has a major increase in the number of attendees. Marinette finds herself lingering around the punchbowl, taking tiny sips of the fruit juice - probably her fifth cup by now - as she watches some of her notable classmates practically light up the dance floor. Alya and Nino were twirling like tea cups at an amusement park, Kim and Ondine were amazingly in sync with fluid movements, Nathaniel and Marc didn’t have any sense of rhythm but were still clearly enjoying themselves.

Then, a slow song comes on. Marinette quickly finds a bench seat for somewhere in a dark corner on the opposite side of the courtyard to hide. The party lights dim just enough so the room takes on a darker tone, making the setting have a more romantic and intimate feel to it. Among all the couples, she suddenly spots Kagami and Adrien in the center of the courtyard. Kagami - in a beautiful, red, off-the-shoulder party dress with tiny golden flowers embedded in the fabric - had her arms swung around Adrien’s neck and his hands were on her waist; both were in step with the slow beat of the music and staring affectionately at each other. It was mesmerizing to watch.

Yet, Marinette doesn’t feel a twinge of jealousy at all. It was the same thing she realized that didn’t occur to her when Kagami asked Adrien out earlier that week either. That familiar feeling should have crept up the moment whenever the two of them were in close proximity, but none of that ever came to mind. Instead, it was more or less happiness; delighted that they were compatible and had a mutual understanding of one another. There wasn’t bitterness directed towards them, but rather a sense of emptiness on Marinette’s part.

As Marinette’s bad luck would have it, Kagami spots her and they briefly make eye contact. Marinette immediately turns away, hoping to draw attention from herself. But at the corner of her eyes, she sees that Kagami has pulled Adrien in closer, appearing to whisper something in his ear. Adrien looks in Marinette’s direction, nods, and the two break apart. He softly kisses Kagami’s hand before heading off to join Kim, Nathaniel, and Ivan at their table, but not before giving Marinette a wink.

Kagami makes her way towards the bench and sits herself beside Marinette. “Got tired of the punch?” she snorts.

“It’s starts to get very bland after five cups or so,” Marinette tips over her empty cup over for show. “Maybe I should’ve picked a better brand.”

“There wouldn’t be a reason to indulge in fruit juice if you were busy having fun on the dance floor with the rest of us.” Kagami remarks.

“It’s fine,” says Marinette. “I’m okay with this too.” But, of course, that was a lie.

The girls sit in silence for a moment, both staring at the group of students dancing with their respective partners.

“Do you like hurting yourself like this, Marinette?” Kagami finally asks.

“I’m not-” Marinette starts, but Kagami doesn’t let her finish.

“This isn’t about Adrien anymore, is it?”

“Well- What makes you say that?” Marinette sputters, trying to keep her cool.

“Why do you think I asked him out at the last second?” Kagami asks.

“I thought you were taking all that time to plan some kind of phenomenal prom-posal, which turn out to be kinda true, by the way; it was very well-thought out.” replies Marinette.

“No way,” Kagami snorts. “That stunt only needed Mr. D’Argencourt’s permission and a single day to prepare with the fencing team in secret.”

“Really?” Marinette is surprised by this news, “So then, why’d you hold it off for so long?”

“I wanted to see you ask Adrien out yourself,” Kagami bluntly states.

Marinette is astounded at this revelation. “Wait, what?”

“I have to admit, it was a very risky move to hold off because I’m sure someone else might’ve tried to ask him before you or I did, like Chloe. But if it meant giving you a chance to find your voice, I was willing to wait for as long as it took.”

“I mean, I wanted to ask him before but then-”

“But then you found someone else.” Kagami responds.

Marinette’s stunned silence only confirmed that she was correct.

“I don’t see anything wrong with switching targets. Your facial expressions and body language have been a pretty big giveaway.”

“Oh? How so?...” a curious Marinette asks.

“There’s something different about the way you look at Adrien now; at the both of us together.” Kagami speaks slowly. “You’re not as flustered when you speak to him anymore and any attempt to spend time alone with him has diminished exponentially.”

“Am I that obvious to read?” Marinette huffs, disappointingly.

“Maybe to some people, but not to me.” Kagami snorts. “This might be mostly because of our mutual so-called fixation with Adrien, but it’s still noticeable if someone made the effort to pay attention.”

Marinette groans, flopping her face into her hands.

“I still would’ve preferred to hear that you chose to stay at home than find out that you had come here by yourself.” Kagami frowns.

“I think it’s too late to do anything anyways,” Marinette sighs.

“No, it’s not.” Kagami grabs onto Marinette’s arm and leads her out the door to the Tsurugi's self-driving car. “The night is still young.”

“Wait! Where are we going?!” Marinette demands as Kagami shoves her into the backseat.

“Tatsu,” Kagami orders her vehicle, “Take us farther down the road along the Seine River.”

“Hold on! I-”

“We’re going to make sure you do what you should’ve done from the start.” Kagami says with a firm tone.

. . . . . . . . . .

Kagami has the car parked right above the waterway where the Couffaine houseboat is located. Marinette is frozen in her seat, unable and unwilling to move.

As Kagami turns off the car, she says, “You know, Alya told me you were in some romantic predicament, but I didn’t think you would make it look this bad.”

Marinette blushes, smoke practically emitted from her head. “She told you?”

“To be honest, not long right after I asked Adrien to the dance she pulled me to the side and asked for me for help. And I figured the only way to confront you was at the dance, since you were still so hell-bent on going.”

“Oh,” Marinette sombers.

“You’ve been pretty withdrawn and out of sorts for the entire week,” Kagami shrugs. "And while I’m sure somewhere in your heart you knew what your feelings were, involving Adrien too much into this might not be a good idea either. He has good intentions, but can be pretty naive about this kind of stuff.”

Marinette snickers, “Well, you’re not wrong.”

The girls take in a moment of the lighthearted joke before reverting back to their previous serious attitude.

Marinette exhales. “I don’t think I can do this, Kagami.”

“Of course you can,” Kagami assures her, looking back at Marinette from the rearview mirror. “It was just an honest mistake; you didn’t flat out reject him. And if he’s as kind and charming as you say he is, then there’s no reason for him to turn you away. Especially if he still feels the same way you do.”

Marinette remains silent, still contemplating. But Kagami further reassures her, “I’ll be right here waiting for you if anything happens.”

And with that, Marinette’s arms and legs find the strength to move again. “Okay. Thanks, Kagami.”

“Good luck, Marinette.”

. . . . . . . . . .

Marinette slowly takes the steps down towards the Seine River, her heart racing. Her head kept screaming to turn away, to go back to the dance and suffer alone for what she did. But her heart urged her to keep walking.

She makes it to the side of the houseboat when Anarka spots her while on the deck. “What a lovely dress, buccaneer! What brings you here on this fine night?”

“Uh, thank you, Ma’am. Is Luka home? I need to talk to him.” Marinette shuffles nervously.

“He’s in his cabin. Why don’t you come on aboard?”

Anarka sets up a walking platform and invites Marinette into her home.

She leads her guest towards the stairway to the lower deck of the houseboat, moving between unpacked cardboard boxes and crumpled sheets of papers. “I’m sure after so many visits you know that the Liberty is a place for chaos.”

“And from chaos, comes creation.” Marinette finishes.

“Exactly! Sometimes a mess does have its own benefits. You might even wind up finding something unexpected among all that disorder and mayhem. ”

Anarka places a hand on Marinette’s shoulder, comforting her with soft pats. “But it’s also up to you whether or not you treasure that something - or someone - enough for them to have a special place in your heart."

Marinette nods and Anarka gently pushes her to walk down the stairs, alone. There was no going back now.

Marinette treads quietly on the wooden floor, avoiding her heels from clacking loudly as she walks into Luka’s room. She pokes her head in and see’s Luka sitting on his bed, his eyes were closed and he was playing a soft melody on his electric guitar.

She lightly taps on the wall of the doorway and their eyes meet.

“Marinette?” Luka is surprised, but immediately puts down his guitar and approaches her. His hands gently holds onto both sides of her arms. “Is everything okay?”

There was not a single sign of anger or contempt on his face. Even after all the time they spent together that felt wasted, even after unconsciously mentioning another boy’s name and implying that she was not interested in having Luka attend the dance with her, the first thing he thought about was about her well-being. And that hurt; it hurt more than expecting to hear him tell her upfront that he was mad at her and treat her with spite the moment he saw her. But he didn’t, and that simple act of sincerity makes Marinette nearly lose composure of her emotions.

“I’m sorry…” Marinette whispers.

“Sorry?” Luka’s forehead creases in genuine confusion. “For what?”

“I’m sorry,” Marinette speaks more clearly, holding back the hitch in her voice, “I’m sorry for treating you like you were second-best.”

“Marinette, I’m not-” Luka starts, but Marinette doesn’t grasp her self-control strongly enough to let him get a word in, so she barrels on.

“I didn’t mean for it to sound like you were a just a rebound… I know that I’ve known Adrien a lot longer, but then all of a sudden you showed up and started spending more time with me than he ever has. It’s all just… so confusing and frustrating for me. I-"

Marinette is temporarily at a lost for words from rambling but Luka still keeps his hands on her arms, not letting go.

“You… mean a lot to me.” Marinette slows her rambling. “So I thought I deserved to be ignored and to go to dance alone after realizing that I didn’t feel the same towards Adrien anymore… I figured that after what I blurted out, I wouldn’t matter to you anymore.”

Marinette dabs her eyes with the palm of her hand, thankful that she wasn’t wearing any make-up. She doesn’t look at Luka and can’t make out his facial expression from the fuzziness of tears lingering in her eyes either way. But she feels him pull her into a hug anyways, one hand on her head and the other on her back.

“There was no reason for me to be mad at you, Marinette.” Luka calmly says. “Your happiness was more important to me. And if that meant letting you go with someone else, I’d do it as many times as I had to.”

“But I felt like I just used you to get over Adrien.” Marinette grips tightly onto Luka’s jacket. “You deserve to be someone’s first choice, not as some back-up plan.”

“So then,” Luka cups a hand on Marinette’s cheek, positioning her face to look at him as he smiled tenderly at her, “does this mean you’ve changed your mind?”

Marinette almost tries to turn her face away, her heart was pounding erratically in shame of how red her face must be. But Luka keeps a firm hold on tipping her head upward to face him, leaning in closer. “You don’t have to keep hurting yourself anymore.”

With that, Luka presses their lips together. Marinette is a little stiff from nervousness and mild shock before it occurs to her to close her eyes. After a moment, they both start to relax and Luka deepens the kiss, coaxing Marinette’s lips apart and pulling her in closer towards his body. That alone incites a soft, pleased noise from Marinette, half convinced that this is all just a dream that she’ll wake up from soon.

When Luka finally breaks the kiss, Marinette is still standing, face flushed and a little dazed. She blinks slowly for a moment, but all she sees in front of her is Luka fondly smiling at her, rubbing his thumb gently across her cheek.

Convinced this isn’t her imagination, Marinette reaches out to take Luka’s hand, twining their fingers together as she leans her face into his chest. “Will you be my date for the prom dance?” she mumbles between the fabric of his clothes.

Luka rests his chin at the top of her head in response, “I’d love to,” he whispers back.

. . . . . . . . . .

“Marinette.” Alya calls out between her twists and turns, “You guys really stand out in this crowd. You sure you’re okay with it?”

“Yeah, I think we’re fine,” Marinette replies. She turns back to Luka, who boldly decided to show up to the dance in his casual outfit even with Kagami’s insistence on a more formal piece of attire. He wouldn’t budge, so here they were.

Just a few feet away, Marinette manages to catch sight of Adrien and Kagami, who were twirling to their own rhythm. Meeting each other’s eyes, they share a small wave from afar. Even Chloe, who initially was disgruntled with the whole turn of events, somehow found it in her heart to repress her annoyance and find fulfillment in the peaceful melodies.

Suddenly, Marinette feels a string-like object wrap around her neck, the fragrant smell of the cereal envelopes her nose almost in a sense of pleasure.

“I thought Fruit Loops seemed to suit your personality better.” Luka smiles down at her, tightening the knot.

“But doesn’t it throw off the simple color scheme of my dress, though?” Marinette giggles.

“Hmm? No, I’ve always liked a little pinch of craziness.”

Luka leans down and gently presses their foreheads together, with Marinette wrapping her arms around his neck to close whatever distance that was left between them.

Surrounded by all her closest friends, their dates, and the soothing music to fill her ears, nothing seemed to fall in place any better than that very night. Everything and everyone felt exactly where they were meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!~ <3
> 
> This ended up being a rather short conclusion to a 3-chapter story... I was hoping to make it more "eventful," but I couldn't think of a way to make it so while keeping the story line progressing neatly. Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed it. ^_^
> 
> Tumblr: [HaruHara16](http://haruhara16.tumblr.com)  
> 


End file.
